Devin Hickey, of Vista High, clears the last hurdle to win the 110 High Hurdles.
— Charlie Neuman

RANCHO PENASQUITOS  La Costa Canyon High’s Darren Fahy just wanted to break 4:10 in the 1,600-meter run and Devin Hickey was hoping for a sub-14 second time in the 110-meter hurdles.

Both set meet records at the Mt. Carmel Invitational track meet Saturday, but only the Georgetown-bound Fahy accomplished his goal, running a national best for this season at 4:08.15 with his eyes clearly focused on a time of 4:04.

How fast is 4:08.15? Only the sixth-fastest ever run in the San Diego Section and some five seconds quicker than the previous meet record of 4:12.15 set by Los Angeles Loyola’s Elias Gedyon in 2010.

Hickey lost one of his main rivals before the short hurdle race even started and then had to hop over another midway through the race yet still clocked 14.38 to replace El Camino’s Bruce Mitchell, who ran 14.46 in 1981.

The two marks were the highlights of the meet that gives an early-season glimpse into who will be the athletes to watch this season.

“I was looking for anything under 4:10,” said Fahy, whose previous best was 4:11.2 as a sophomore. “I figured with the early push that I’d get something around 4:07 or 4:08 after I came through 1,200 meters in 3:06.

“Last year, I struggled so much but I’ve gotten much more consistent and I’m running like I’m on top of the race.”

Fahy is really excited about running a 3,200 at the Arcadia Invitational in two weeks, where he will be looking for a time in the mid 8:40s or faster and he figures because of the competition, that’s a distinct possibility.

“There are going to be so many great runners there,” said Fahy, who has the section record of 8:41.8 by Patrick Henry’s Thom Hunt back in 1976 in his sights. “I definitely want to break 8:50 and I really think it’ll take faster than 8:45 to win it.”

Arcadia Invitational meet director Rich Gonzales said he expects the best 3,200-meter field in the meet’s history.

As for Hickey, his closest rival, Julian Todd-Borden of La Costa Canyon, false started and then El Camino’s Isiah Jackson tripped over a hurdle and fell right into the Vista senior’s lane. Hickey had no trouble stepping over him but it threw him off-stride and he couldn’t get that sub-14-second time he so desires.

“I guess 14.38 is good for now,” said the husky Hickey, who played football last fall but will focus on the hurdles. “Actually, I’ve been working on getting in shape for the 300-meter hurdles.

“Still, if Julian and Jackson had been right behind me I know I could have run faster.”

Todd-Borden recouped for his mistake in the short hurdles by pulling away to capture the 300-meter hurdles in 38.63, improving by almost a full second on his own season best and coming within a tenth of his 2011 best of 38.54.

As might be expected in the first major invitational of the season — which attracted 82 schools — there were yearly section bests in most events.